The upcoming Bike Parade next Monday is made for kids! Why? It combines action, art and noise! Riding around with streamers flying and cards making a loud slapping sound is fun. Decorating bikes would make a great project for this weekend, whether you intend to ride in the parade or around town with the family. Imagine what you can do with streamers, ribbons, flowers, a little cardboard, wire coat hangars, playing cards and/or colored straws on wheel spokes, tin cans on a rope, a few balloons, cloth and paint! Make a "head" to go on the handle bars and you could become a dinosaur, panda, dolphin, zebra, or family of cats. Get creative with red, white, pink streamers, foil, Valentine signs made from paper plates, red and black markers and balloons. Wear an outfit to go with your bike. Please send us a photo!

On Monday, Feb 16, the Amgen Tour of California racers is expected to arrive in Santa Cruz between noon and 2 pm. Before then there is all sorts of action in downtown Santa Cruz. Plan to park and walk downtown as most streets will be closed off.

Wednesdays 2/4-25, 7-9pm, World of the Young Child Parenting Classes, Santa Cruz Waldorf School, $75 per person, or $100 per couple. We'll look at developmental stages of the physical and self-consciousness of the young child, leading to discussion on ways to truly connect with the child and support his or her individual development.

Sat, 2/14, 8am-12pm, Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market, Aptos, Do your weekly shopping while enjoying live Bluegrass by the Farmers Market String Band or lively accordion music by one of Santa Cruz's favorite performing artists, The Great Morgani.

Weds, 2/11 6-8pm, Free Workshop: How to Interpret Educational & Academic Testing, Chartwell School, Free, We will review the bell curve and learn about the types of assessments and what they measure. The presenter will relate this information to specific learning styles and discuss how this data is used to determine how students learn best. John Aulenta, licensed educational psychologist.

2nd & 4th Thurs 7-10:30pm English Country Dance Class, First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz, Lively dancing, stirring tempos, a welcoming atmosphere for beginners, assorted comic antics, occasional laughter, and musicians that will play 'till the cows come home. All musicians are welcome in the open band.

Sat, 2/14 10am-12pm, Family Art Saturday, MAH, $5/personRed is the color of the day during this Museum of Art & History workshop dedicated to the legend of St. Valentine. The entire family will create lovable cards using stencils, collage, stamps, recycled materials and much more.

By 9:00 am most streets and parking will be closed downtown in preparation for the Tour's arrival. Please be prepared to park outside of the downtown area and walk or ride to the parade check-in.

FREE KIDS' ZONE as part of the AMGEN LIFESTYLE FESTIVAL, 10:30am - 2:30pm75 River Street

Bring the family to the fun and free Parks and Recreation Kids' Zone presented as part of the Amgen Lifestyle Festival. Hop on our inflatable obstacle course, ride the giant slide, or challenge yourself on our rock climbing mountain! Hula hoops, clowns, and face painters will add to the fun. Plus, Ecology Action and Community Traffic Safety Coalition will offer entertaining and informative bike safety games and interactive exhibits. The free Lifestyle Festival will include food, drink, an entertainment stage and booths from a wide variety of vendors.

Innovations in Bicycle Design: Past, Present and Future Exhibit, The Museum of Art and History, 705 Front Street,Technology and design in Santa Cruz is spotlighted through the bicycle. Displays and interactive kiosks showing innovations in bicycle design and technology in Santa Cruz over the last 25 years. This retrospective of bicycle innovation celebrates the city's history as a bike mecca and the Tour's arrival in town.

Sat, 2/11. 10:30-11:30am, Meet the Authors of The Jewel Box, The Porter Memorial Library's free "Meet the Author(s)" Program continues with the four local writers who constitute "The Jewels," aka Mysty W. Moonfree, author of two Capitola mysteries, The Jewel Box and A Killer Festival (a fifth member, Marybeth Varcados, passed away last month). The women write as a group and share a love of the Santa Cruz area, particularly Capitola, as well as a love of writing. Books by the authors will be available for purchase and for autographs.

Sat 2/14, 1-4pm, Three Cups of Tea Fundraiser, Gault Elementary School will hold a fundraising auction to benefit the Central Asia Institute. Inspired by the bestselling book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, which chronicles his near death while mountain climbing and rescue by a remote people in Pakistan, this auction is in support of CAI's mission to support community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote regions of Central Asia. Nearly 50 Santa Cruz clay artists have come together, creating their own unique sets of three teacups which will be auctioned both online and at the event. The book will also be available at the event.

Sun, 2/15, 7-9pm, Mid-Winter Night Hike, Quail Hollow Ranch, Join us for a hike in the darkness of the winter night as we explore the nocturnal world along the Sunset Trail using only the light of the moon. This is a difficult trail over a mile round trip and not recommended for children under 10. Be sure to bring warm clothing and wear sturdy walking shoes. Flashlights optional. Rain does NOT cancel this event.

"Every one" says they teach the whole child. I've observed that it's a frequently used term and think that it has different meanings depending on different schools of education. Suki's blog is the best explanation I've ever encountered of the term "whole child education." Thanks Suki! Parmalee

"...we had to do dance movements while singing. I could feel my brain stretching...I swear it was creaking and groaning with the effort! Focusing on three different things at once makes your brain develop the capability of not focusing -- being able to feel what comes next rather than...">>>>>>>

This Three Year Old Needs Boundaries

Dear Lorraine,

My 3 year old won't sit at the table no matter what. He fusses, picks at his food and leaves and we can't keep him there. He rarely eats what I make; he's not really hungry because he raids my cupboards any time he wants. I've tried sending him to his room, but he even gets on top of the counters to get snacks I hide in the highest shelves and I worry about him falling off. We're frustrated and mad. He's a very sweet boy, but ... >>>>>>

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Parents Need Love Too

by Leon Scott Baxter, America's Romance Guru

Don't let Valentine's Day be a scapegoat this year. Too many busy parents use it as a "Get out of Romance the Rest of the Year" card. And, yes, I'm talking about dads more than moms (but, some of you ladies also abuse the day... you know who you are).

Seeing that I dedicate a big portion of my life to love, romance and relationships, people often ask me if Valentine's Day is my favorite day of the year. And, I tell them, absolutely and unequivocally, "No". The day has special meaning to me personally (first day my future wife allowed me to get close enough to lay a kiss on her), but I think it's been too commercialized. The media tells us what's romantic: flowers, jewelry, perfume, chocolates, a dinner at a fancy restaurant. And, they set up the holiday as if it were invented exclusively for women, and a man's duty to romance her this one day out of the year. Wrong!

First, romance is about making your partner feel loved and cared for. If that happens to be red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates, jump right in with both feet, by all means. But, odds are you can make your partner feel loved by being creative and personal and traveling the path least taken (a concert, picnic lunch, day at the spa, tickets to "the game").

Second, Valentine's Day is not just for women. Allow me to explain why. If we listen to the media (the flowers, jewelry and perfume) we might get the feeling that it's her day. But, remember, February 14th is the day when you show your partner they are loved. Believe it or not, men want to be loved too, only thing is that might look different for a dad versus a mom. So, ladies, since the media doesn't tell you what to do for your man, you need to be creative. What does he do for fun? What are his hobbies? What does he do for entertainment? What could you do to completely floor him? Surprise him with tickets to Vegas? Buy him the boxed set of the first three seasons of Lost? Get him that surfboard he's been eying? Make him a coupon book good for intimate moments?

Finally, Valentine's Day is not the end! Look at it as the beginning. For so many, especially us dads, Valentine's Day is perceived as an obligation rather than an opportunity. We see it as a day we pull ourselves away from the kids, work, the gym, and our computers to make our partners satisfied romantically at least once a calendar year. We have to make dinner reservations, dress well, pay an arm and a leg for a dozen roses, shave, smell half-way decent, and God forbid, shower.

The reason why this is perceived as an obligation is because we feel what the media tells us isn't "us", but we are obligated to do it nonetheless, or we will be labeled a bad partner or an uncaring spouse (not to mention, a romantically challenged Neanderthal). Once we claim Valentine's Day for ourselves again, making it a personal celebration for our partners, it becomes something enjoyable to celebrate. Consider avoiding the crowds and hitting the beach. Forget the $80 bouquet of roses and buy novels for one another at Borders and read them together at Starbucks as you sip iced mochas.

Also, look at Valentine's Day as a reminder, a reminder to add love into your relationship and to sprinkle in romance often. Don't look at it as the one day you must feign romance because you are "supposed to". As our passion starts to dwindle, use February 14th as that boost back into romance that will keep you going until February, 2010.

Oh, and by the way...buy the Valentine's goodies on February 15th (everything's half-price), hold on to them for a few months, and bust them out when you're the kids are at Grandma's and your partner is least suspecting to be romanced. Knock their socks off!

Leon Scott Baxter (America's Romance Guru) is a father of two girls and has been married to his college sweetheart for sixteen years. If you are interested in receiving a free monthly newsletter for couples who want to keep the flames of romance ignited, just visit his website: Couples Committed to Love and register.

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